How to Build a Bird Out of Cardboard

By Christopher Michael ; Updated September 15, 2017

Things Needed

Paper

Pencil

Marker

Cardboard

Scissors

Ruler

Origami paper

Paintbrush

Paint

Nature inspires art; from animals painted on the walls of caves to modern cardboard bird projects. A cardboard bird can be an elegant designer's touch, a soft addition to the garden or a fun project for kids. Making a cardboard bird costs very little in time and money.

Draw a bird template on a piece of paper with a pencil. Keep the design simple; emulate the silhouette of your favorite bird. Cut the template out with a pair of scissors.

Place the template on to a piece of cardboard. Trace the edges of the template with a marker.

Cut the traced marker line with a pair of scissors. Insert the sharp-bottom tip of the scissors through the cardboard to cut out any "island' pieces.

Decorate the bird as you see fit. You can paint the body of the bird a singular color, or use more tones for detail. You can use a marker when the paint dries to fill in the eyes and feathery details.

Approximate where the wings would come out of the body of the bird. Punch a 3/4-inch hole through the bird with the sharp part of the scissors. Use a ruler and pencil to outline the lateral mark.

Measure and mark every 3/4 inch down the shorter width of a piece of origami paper. Do the same on the opposite side. Fold the paper at these marks, over and back, making an accordion-like effect.

Pinch the origami paper so it is a long, 3/4-inch wide strip. Force feed it through the wing-hole puncture until half of the paper is through. Undo the accordion folds at each end to create wings.

References

About the Author

Christopher Michael began writing in 2010 for Break.com. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Writing sports and travel articles helps support his professional baseball career, which has taken him to 49 states, five continents and four oceans.